How to apply the Golden Ratio in Design The quickest way to apply the golden ratio in design is using the rule of thirds, dividing an area into equal thirds both vertically and horizontally, the intersection of the lines will provide a natural focal point for the shape. Photographers are taught to place their key subject on one of these intersecting lines for a pleasing composition, the same principle can be used in the design. Although the rule of thirds can be applied to any shape, if it is applied to a rectangle with proportions approximately 1: 1.6, it comes very close to a golden rectangl ..read more

What is readability? Reading any text shouldn’t require any extra effort from the reader beyond being able to actually read; words and sentences should be immediately comprehensible. Readability then is the ease with which a reader can understand a written text. The total sum of elements within a given piece of written text that affect the success of a group of readers has with it. The success is the extent to which they understand it and read it at an optimal speed. There is where design skills come into play, the challenge is to ensure that the words, sentences, and paragraphs are arran ..read more

There are different ways to turn photo into line drawing but doesn’t look real, like someone draw it. This technique of line art uses different densities of crosshatching to simulate lighter and darker shades of gray to obtain that look and the result is great. Crosshatching is the drawing of two layers of hatching at right-angles to create a mesh-like pattern. Multiple layers in varying directions can be used to create different textures. Crosshatching is often used to create tonal effects like shadows, by varying the spacing of lines or by adding additional layers of lines. This tutorial ach ..read more

To Draw a Map in Illustrator appears to be very complicated but with this technique, it can be really simple to create. You only have to be careful to create the layers for each individual step. Creating your own maps is great because you can customize them according to your project and you don’t have to worry about the copyrights. How to Draw a Map in Illustrator? Step 1 Create the principal avenues a) Draw the principal avenues. Make sure your path is set to have a stroke but no fill. Use the pen tool to draw the lines. b) Select al the lines and set a big stroke. For this map, I’m using 22 ..read more

A good Design proposal is always a way to show our customers that we are, as freelancers, professionals. It is also a tool to explain our customers; processes, design development and finally that professional design has a cost. It is our responsibility as designers to help the client understand the difference between professional design and one that is not, and also explain the creative process that leads a project. The customer does not have to know all this. The following steps to write a professional design proposal can be adapted to multiple design projects: graphic, printed and digital.&n ..read more

In this tutorial, we will learn a powerful technique to how to cut out hair in photoshop creating advanced masking; Calculations. With this technique, you will be able to mask even the most complicated images like the hair of a model. For this tutorial, we will use an image with some complexities like the hair and the shape of the model face. For perfect masking we usually have to use more than one method, in this case, we will use calculations and pen tool. Let’s start. Before We Get Started For this tutorial you are going to need: Model http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1210353 Back Ground http://www ..read more

This weekend I stumble with a great little blog: art of being women. I really liked it, but not because it was a women blog really, but because of the content. In SEO we always say that content is King, well this blog has very good content. It is clearly a blog for young women, but the articles are not what you would expect.  The first article I read was about productivity from a Stoic point of view, really refreshing in a women blog. The second article was about how to read a wine label, really good information. The blog has a good variety of themes, relationships, cooking, productivity ..read more

In this tutorial we will learn how to create a realistic lightning bolt with a very simple method using difference clouds and levels. Step 1 Create a new document Step 2 Open de Gradient editor and create a black and white gradient with a narrow gray area Step 3 Paint the document with a linear gradient Step 4 Apply difference Clouds: Filter > Render > Difference Clouds Step 5 Apply levels: Image > Adjustments > Levels Set the levels as follows: Step 6 Inverse the image: Image > Adjustments > Invert Step 7 Create a new layer and paint it with a blue gradient Step 8 Set ..read more

The negative space is the area around the object that defines it. In an image composed of negative space, the different visual elements do not make up a single object, but the image is divided into sections. Is the space around and between the subject(s) of an image. The most interesting happens when the positive and negative space competes because then hidden images appear. It is a resource widely used by the perceptual principles of Gestalt. In graphic design, this concept very is useful, since it manages to capture attention easily. The key is simplicity. This type of design is considered a ..read more

In this post, I want to review the 89 years of graphic art history of the World Cup Poster. The goal of every poster is the communication of a message, but to be able to communicate that message, first, you have to do something, in my opinion, much more important: to attract attention. A poster is a temporary promotion of an idea, product or event put up in a public space for mass consumption. Typically, posters include both textual and graphic elements. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative. World Cup Poster are a great example because they not only have to gr ..read more